Tuesday, March 23, 2010

UIS chorus to perform at Vachel Lindsay Home

The University of Illinois Springfield Chorus, under the direction of Dr. Sharon Graf, will perform at the historic Vachel Lindsay Home in Springfield at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 27, 2010. The Vachel Lindsay Home is located at 603 S. 5th Street in downtown Springfield. This will be the vocal group’s first performance of the semester and its second performance at the historic home of poet Nicholas Vachel Lindsay.

The event will feature songs from a variety of cultures and eras, including “Ahe Lau Makani (There is a Breath)” by Queen Liliuokalani, the last reigning monarch of Hawaii; “Fire, Fire,” a polyphonic English madrigal by Thomas Morley; “The Erie Canal,” an American folk song accompanied by piano and fiddle; “Oleana,” an American folk song accompanied by violin; and “Blackbird,” a classic Beatles song. Todd Cranson will add to the chorus’ performance of “Blackbird” with a solo tuba rendition of the classic tune.

In addition, Dr. Graf will lead a brief discussion of the songs and will provide information on the UIS Music program and upcoming events.

The current UIS chorus program began in 2001 and is comprised of students, faculty, staff and alumni as well as Springfield community members, all with a variety of skill levels. After the Vachel Lindsay event, the next Chorus performance will be at the UIS Showcase Concert, which features the Chorus, Chamber Orchestra and Concert Band and will be held in Sangamon Auditorium at the University of Illinois at Springfield campus on April 9, 2010, at 7:30 p.m. Information about these and other events is available at uis.edu/music.

Anyone who is interested in joining the UIS Chorus may contact Dr. Sharon Graf by emailing music@uis.edu or calling (217) 206-6240.

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